


Familiar

by nightimedreamer



Series: Flufftober prompts [5]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Black Cats, Cat snuggles, Cat!Baz, Established Relationship, Familiars, Fluffy, M/M, Magickal Mishap, Post Wayward Son, Transfiguration, it gets a bit angsty, soft boys cuddling, someone messes with magic and it isn't Simon!, this was supposed to be silly, witch hats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27152809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightimedreamer/pseuds/nightimedreamer
Summary: Penny Bunce has been a bit obsessed with Familiar magic. She's even got a proper witch hat and a black cat. All she needs to do is get said cat to behave.Baz just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.OR: Simon and Baz share a bond.
Relationships: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: Flufftober prompts [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956919
Comments: 7
Kudos: 98





	Familiar

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This was one of the first ideas I had for these prompts, and it's probably my favorite of them all.  
> (I know I've fallen behind on the rest, but I've still got some ideas up my sleeve!) (Though they'll probably be up on the wrong dates..)   
> Days 21 and 22: witch hats and black cats!  
> This started as a silly thing, but ended up being kind of heartfelt. I hope you guys like it!

**Baz**

  
  


When I get home, the flat is a war zone.

I sigh, looking at the papers and books scattered around the living room, the lamp knocked down and the cushions from our sofa on the floor. 

_"Snow!"_ I call out, trying to navigate the room. "What did you do this time?" 

I hear footsteps, then someone shouts "Baz, watch out!" 

A bit too late, in my opinion, because there's already a black furred projectile flying at my face. 

I lift my arm on instinct, and I can feel the creature's claws scratching me; I can even feel them through my shirt, meaning that's now probably ruined.

I grab the cat with both hands, holding him to my eye level.

Penelope barges into the living room right after, apparently chasing her cat. "Phobos, _what_ did I say about attacking my friends?" She scolds, taking him from my arms. 

(The creature hisses at me. I hiss back.)

"For Crowley's sake, Bunce, keep your little devil under control!" 

"I'm sorry!" She says, panting. (Her hair and the state of her arms suggest she's been trying to for a while.) "Are you hurt?" 

"Yes," I say, looking down at the red marks on my arms before realising she was probably talking to the cat. "Anyway, what the fuck is happening here?" 

Bunce caresses Phobos' fur, swaying him gently on her arms. "He's just agitated. I've been trying something with him the whole afternoon, and I think the magic is making him stressed." 

My eyebrows shoot up. I'm about to ask why she's making magickal experiences with her cat when my mind processes the weirdest details about this scene. 

Bunce is wearing a classical witch hat. Black and pointy, it looks a bit lopsided over her frazzled curls. Her arms are also covered in runes. 

"Penelope," I start, slowly. "What in Merlin's name are you trying to do? And what's with the hat?" 

"You know it's part of my uniform," She huffs. "I'm testing something, that's all."

"And why did you involve the black cat?" I ask. I don't like Phobos, and he definitely doesn't like me, but the way his pupils were reduced to slits before… 

Bunce shrugs. "I'm not hurting him. But he's scared of magic, I think. Anyway, well keep trying tomorrow." 

She lets him go and starts picking up her books from the floor. 

I'm gathering the papers when I see it. 

Three circles drawn on the floor, exactly in the middle of our living room. The bigger one is closer to the sofa; the one in between is just big enough for a large pot with something inside (that smells suspiciously like a mix of bacon, butter and cinnamon); and the third circle, which is tangent to the bigger one, is blurred by scratch marks. 

Also, there are candles everywhere, and the room reeks of incense. 

"Bunce, are you trying to summon something?" 

She rolls her eyes. "Evidently _not,_ Basilton. Please, try not to touch the circles." 

She leaves the room, cooing to her devilish cat. 

_"Evidently,"_ I mumble under my breath, "you're up to trouble." 

And to think I was about to accuse Snow of this mess. 

I step over the third circle's border just to spite her. Nothing happens. I rub my socks over the chalk, but it doesn't blur. 

I frown. 

A spell will have to do. 

I draw my wand and stand closer to the circle, pointing down at it. **"Clean as a whistle!"**

Nothing happens.

An instant later, _something_ happens, but not what should happen. 

The circles start glowing. 

I have half a mind to step away, because this can't be good. 

Instead, though, I step forward, for some reason; a weird feeling rising in my stomach and taking hold. 

It feels a bit like the Crucible; that hook on my guts pulling me forward. 

I step into the circle, and it glows brighter— 

Then the world is caving in around me, and I'm engulfed in magic.

**Simon**

The apartment is eerily silent when I get home. 

"Penny?" I call out; she should be home by now. 

"Here," her voice calls from the kitchen. I leave my shoes by the doorway, taking off my coat. 

I notice something weird on my way to the kitchen; there are some wicked circles drawn on the floor of our living room, right in front of the telly. 

There's a pile of clothes _(Baz's clothes,_ unmistakably) in one of them. I frown, surprised. 

"Hey, um, are you doing some sort of ritual sacrifice?" I ask, entering the kitchen. "Because, y'know, it would be cool if you didn't use my boyfriend as an offering." 

Penny is sitting at the table, holding Phobos closely and feeding him treats. She rolls her eyes at me. "Why do you guys always assume I'm doing something illegal?" 

I shrug, grinning. "We all have dark pasts, Penny." 

"Ha, ha." She huffs. "I was trying that ritual. Remember? We've been preparing for it all week. You were supposed to _help_ me, by the way."

"Uh." I look down. I know what she's talking about "Sorry, Pen, I completely forgot. I had to cover someone's shift today, and—" 

She waves at me. "It's fine, Simon." 

I nod, still feeling a bit guilty. "Is Baz home?" 

She nods. "He was hissing at my cat just now." 

I can't help but smile, shaking my head. 

I always thought Baz would be a cat person—with his cool and collected demeanor and secret soft side. But he and Penny's cat don't seem to get along in any way. (I wonder if Phobos can sense Baz's vampiric nature, somehow.) 

Phobos has been around for a week, though; so I still hope they'll warm up to each other. 

Penny adopted him during one of those _Adopt a black cat!_ campaigns from the animal shelter near us. They organise something like this almost every year, and this year, she decided we needed a pet. 

I knew she had second intentions, though. Not that she doesn't treat the cat well (she's always patting him lovingly and offering treats), it's just… well. 

When Penny gets caught up in a magickal question, she goes looking for magickal answers. 

She's always been obsessed with discoveries; even more so since I started going to therapy again and she finally got some _quality Penny time._

Which means, sometimes she disappears for a whole week inside her father's library, doing all kinds of magickal research. (She's got a witch hat, now. It's part of her uniform, working with her father in the department.) 

This time, she's caught up in Familiar magic. The kind that involves kindred spirits. 

_"It's been ages since someone had a proper familiar,"_ she told me. _"Most books covering the topic have been destroyed or deemed illegal."_

Still, my brilliant friend found a way. 

(At least that's what she says. I'm not about to start second guessing Penny.) 

According to her, familiars are spirits that usually take animal form; they used to bond with mages for protection, while also assisting them. The bond also enhances someone's magic, supposedly. 

I pointed out that the black cat she adopted probably isn't a familiar, but Penny just shrugged it off. 

_"Maybe it won't be a traditional bond,"_ she said, _"but at least we'll get to test some limits. The worst thing that can happen is nothing."_

I guess that's what happened. Nothing. 

I go into my room and change into something more comfortable; I'm just about to leave when I hear it. A low sound. 

Purring. 

I look around the room, crouching down beside my bedside table. "Hey? Someone there?" 

I hear it again. I kneel, looking under the bed. 

A pair of grumpy grey eyes, cut in half by thin pupils, stares back at me. 

"Hello," I say, reaching out tentatively. The cat purrs again, lightly, as I scratch behind his ears. "Can I pick you up, pretty thing?" 

_You may._

I jerk back so fast I almost fall on my butt. 

I chuckle, nervously. "Really funny, Baz," I say, raising my voice. I imagine him laughing quietly; hidden behind the bathroom door or inside our wardrobe. "You almost had me there!" 

_Ever so clever, darling._

My head whips around, but I can't determine the origin of his voice.

I lower myself again, almost lying on the floor, and look under the bed. Baz isn't there. Just the cat.

I pick him up, wondering why Penny didn't tell me she adopted _two_ cats. 

This one's got black fur as well, though it's a bit longer and more lustrous than Phobos'. He snuggles against my chest and purrs.

"We've got a Phobos already," I say, stroking under his chin. "So, you're probably Deimos, right?" 

The purring ceases instantly, and the cat glares at me. 

_Don't you dare call me that, Snow._

My eyes widen so much I fear they're going to fall from my face. It's definitely Baz's voice, except it doesn't sound like he's in the bathroom, or even across the room from me. 

It sounds like he's _inside my head._

I look at the cat. He looks back at me. My heart pounds. 

I bring him closer to my face, examining the familiar grey of his eyes. 

_"Baz?"_

**Penny**

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. 

I sigh, stroking Phobos. He's in my lap, purring happily. 

Maybe it's too soon. I feel bad for scaring him—it's always hard to predict how animals will react to magic. 

Maybe our bond—our _ordinary_ bond, the kind everyone eventually forms with their pets—still isn't strong enough. After all, I've only had him for a week. 

I should've been more patient, like my mother said. 

It's just… I've been _so close._ Sometimes I'll get an idea; a brilliant spark, the missing piece of this puzzle. One moment, the answer is in my hands, and the next, it's flying out of my mind, just out of reach. 

(Shepard suggested that I walk with pencil and paper always at hand.) 

Anyway. I had this idea, and I knew I _needed_ to try it. Everything made sense, at last. 

And I'm sure it would have worked, if only my cat could trust me. 

I'm not trying to turn him into a familiar, _per se._ I just want to recreate that kind of bond, in any way a normal cat and a brilliant mage can together. I just don't know how to make him understand that. 

Phobos jumps off my lap, meowing. I frown. "What?" 

I hear a door slamming, then hushed steps. 

Simon comes into the kitchen with wide eyes, looking like he's seen a ghost. I get up immediately, rolling my ring on my finger. 

Then, I realise he's holding _another_ black cat. 

"Hey, Penny, remember when I asked you to _not_ use Baz in your ritual—" 

The cat meows loudly, cutting him off and hissing at me. He has grey eyes. 

My jaw falls. 

"Fuck a nine toed troll," I say under my breath. 

**Simon**

Penny is quick to figure out what's going on. 

She takes a look at Baz's discarded clothes on the floor and immediately calls her father. 

The good news is that, after all the magickal research we've been doing (to find out more about my wings, Shep's curse and even Baz's semi-vampirism), the Coven decided to create a special department for our studies: the Department of Magickal Mishap. 

The bed news is that, as of now, there are only three people working at said department: Penny, her dad and Shepard. 

I sit with Baz on the sofa, caressing his silky fur while we wait. I can hear Penny talking exasperatedly in the other room, and Baz keeps his severe cat eyes trained on her closed door. 

_It's all her fault,_ he says, and I hear his voice clear as day inside my head. After the first round of telepathic insults thrown at Penny, his anger subsided to sulking and glares.

"It'll be okay, love," I say, soothingly, bringing him closer and burying my face on his fur. "Look on the bright side. At least your hair is still perfect." 

He purrs against my chest, and I smile. 

Penny finally comes back after a while. "I think I know what happened." 

Baz looks at her in a way that makes me wonder if cats have eyebrows. (Well, seems like this one does.) (And he's lifting one of them, right now.) 

_Please, enlighten me on the way you've ruined my life, Bunce._

I snort. He looks up at me. "Sorry, um," I look at Penny. "He's asking what happened." 

She nods, sitting beside us on the sofa. "Okay, so, my father said that… well, it's possible I've miscalculated something." 

Baz frowns again. _Miscalculate?_ _That ritual was bound to be a disaster since the beginning._

"Baz says you fucked up," I tell her. 

Penny sighs. "Anyway. Here's the thing: you two are now stuck in some kind of Familiar bond." 

"How could this happen? I wasn't even _here,"_ I say, wondering how I can mess with magic without being near it. (Or _without_ magic, period.) 

"Well…" Penny looks between us. "My theory is that you and Baz already had some kind of bond." 

I frown, letting that sink in. Baz meows lightly, and I look at him. 

_It's possible, Snow._ I hear him say, his eyes bigger than ever. _Remember how we could share magic, back at school?_

"Well, yeah, our magics were compatible," I say, thinking about it. "But... I don't have magic anymore." 

Penny shrugs. "Maybe the bond isn't rooted in magic; but it means you two are compatible, in any way." 

I nod, absentmindedly. I'm more focused on Baz's eyes and the wordless messages he's trying to communicate. 

This isn't really telepathy. Right now, it's more like _empathy—_ I can feel what he's feeling; I can remember his memories. Flashes of us back at Watford; flashes of his feelings, kept a secret for so long, now invade my heart. I hug him tighter. 

"Are you saying we're, like, soulmates?" 

"Something like that, I think." She shrugs again. "So, because of the way I prepared the ritual, the magic probably interpreted the existing bond between you two as a _Familiar_ one, and considering that part was already done, it just… turned Baz into a cat." 

"... Because Familiars usually take animal form," I complete, nodding. 

"Baz's magic probably activated the ritual," Penny goes on. "I imagine he tried to use it near the ritual circles, even though I told him to stay _away_ from them," she says, scolding him. 

Baz hisses at her. 

"Okay," I sigh, rubbing my face. "That's not important now. We need to focus on how to reverse the transformation." 

"Of course. I made this mess, and I'll clean it," she says, resolutely, getting up. 

When Penny grabs her books and retreats into her room, we know the only thing left for us to do is wait. 

*******

The one good thing about this is how close I can keep Baz all the time. 

Not just physically close. Of course, snuggling with him is wonderful (seems like I'm also soft for cats, huh?); but most of all, I like our telepathy bond. 

(I know Penny is dead curious about it, but she doesn't ask us too many questions. Instead, she focuses on fixing the situation.) 

Before, I thought I could know what Baz was thinking just by the look on his face. Now, though, I can _literally_ know what he's thinking just by being close to him. 

And it doesn't feel annoying or invasive, like I can't get him out of my head. It just feels like we're in tune. 

On Saturday, I call in sick, explaining to my boss that I'm having a cat emergency (which is completely true). Because I covered someone else's shift yesterday, he lets me get away with it. 

It's a bit harder to explain to Baz's teachers why he'll miss his classes for the next few days. They almost can't believe it when I say he's sick. (His fault for creating that kind of reputation. Being a vampire and all, it's possible he's _never_ been sick before.) 

So, we spend most of the next two days together. Baz isn't really fond of cat things—he thinks murderous thoughts at me whenever I offer him Phobos' food, and when I try to distract him with a laser pointer. (I can tell he's interested, even though he's trying his best to hide it. Mostly by insulting me.) 

He loves to play with my tail, though. I chuckle as he chases it around, biting lightly at the pointy spade when he catches it. 

He doesn't really like to be picked up. Says it's undignifying. 

(He still lets me do it, though. Sometimes.) (He doesn't say it, but I know he loves it when I brush his fur. Hair? Anyway, he purrs all the time while I do it.) 

He also really likes naps. On one hand, I know he's been studying like crazy and really needed a break; on the other, I think it's just part of cat nature to sleep a lot. 

Like now, for example. He fell asleep about ten minutes ago, while watching a show with me. 

I get up slowly, stretching my arms over my head, then head to the kitchen. Penny is there, surrounded by her books, with Phobos on her lap. 

"Hey," I say, softly. "Did you find anything already?" 

She shakes her head, and my heart sinks. "I'm sorry, Si. There aren't many books covering this kind of… thorough metamorphosis." 

"Oh." I sit down, sighing. I can tell she's tired. It's Sunday night, and she's been working on this nonstop since Friday. "You should take a break, you know." 

"I can't." Her voice sounds… oh no. Penny takes a deep breath, blinking rapidly. "I really can't, Simon. Our time is running out." 

I frown. "What do you mean?" 

"I discovered something," Penny says, and I can see she's holding back tears. _Oh fuck._ "Most of the older rituals took some days to be complete. There was a short period in which the bond grew stronger before taking hold definitely." 

"So…?" I ask. "What's the problem?" 

"Usually—" her voice cracks, and I reach for her hand, squeezing. She looks me in the eyes. "Usually, it took three days for this to happen. And I'm afraid… when it's complete, I'm afraid it'll be irreversible." 

It takes me a minute to process what she's saying. _Irreversible. Our time is running out._

My blood runs cold. 

"Are you saying Baz will be stuck in cat form forever?" 

She nods. "Not just in form. I'm afraid he's becoming... a cat."

Suddenly, breathing feels difficult. 

I get up, rushing back to the living room. Baz is still asleep in front of the telly. 

I pick him up, gently, and I can feel his confusion. He blinks at me slowly, and I hold him close to my face. 

What am my looking for? Any signs that he's already more cat than human? Any irreversible changes that went flying over my head? 

I can sense his question in the back of my mind. 

"Baz," my voice trembles, "talk to me." 

I know what he's saying—or rather trying to. I know his meaning, but there are no words. I can no longer hear his voice. 

I let myself fall back on the sofa. 

"I'm sorry, Simon," Penny says, but I'm just barely paying attention. 

I should have realised much sooner. I didn't even notice the change. 

Baz meows, nuzzling my arm. _It'll be okay,_ is what he means, but the words aren't formed. _You can do it._

I can't look at him, and I can't look at Penelope, so I close my eyes. 

"I know." 

*******

I can't sleep, so I lay all night listening to Baz's breathing. 

At least, that didn't change much. The only difference is that he used to snore softly, before; now, he purrs. 

I cry a bit, but not too much. I don't want to scare him. 

It's unfair. So completely unfair, and so poetically unsatisfying, that, after everything we went through, after facing so many demons—the world's and our own—this is how it ends. 

Not in flames, but in a black ball of fluffy fur. 

Today is the third day. Our last chance. 

I look at Baz in the morning's soft, blue light. Sleeping peacefully. 

_I don't want to lose you,_ I think. I reach into my feelings, deep inside, into everything I keep carefully hidden at the back of my mind. 

It's a churning pool of lava, ready to erupt. 

(It's already spilling. The tears are hot in my eyes.) 

He must feel it, somehow. I can feel him comforting me, even though he doesn't say anything. (Maybe he can't anymore.) But he's still there, licking at my hand, rubbing his face against my arm soothingly. 

The sun is rising when the door to our room bursts open, and a very disheveled Penny barges in. 

She looks at me for a moment, wide eyed. 

"There's something we can try." 

*******

Thank Merlin, Morgana and Methuselah, Baz remains himself enough to sit still on the circle. 

I'm sitting on the bigger one, in front of him. There's a pot full of something between us. 

(It smells like him. His exact scent; cedar and bergamot and home.) 

Penny's hand squeezes my shoulder. "Ready?" 

"I don't know." I'm nervous. Now, it's on me. Penny found the right spell; now, everything depends on my ability to cast it. 

I can't help but feel like we're doomed. 

Baz meows, somehow encouragingly. My heart aches. 

I love him so much. 

And I've been learning how to love him better every day. We're _both_ learning; we've come this far, and there's still a long road ahead. 

This can't be the end. 

I nod at Penny. 

Her hand hovers over my shoulder. **"Simon says!"** She casts. 

Her magic washes over me, familiar and strange at the same time. I take a deep breath. 

(I've never been good with magic, with words; with intention or intonation or anything else.) 

I know the words I need to say, but I also need to _feel_ them. 

To feel their meaning. 

(I couldn't manage even the easiest spells. How can I do _this?_ What if I make everything worse?) 

I take too long to speak, and the magic wears off. 

"Simon…" 

"Sorry," I say, my heart thumping hard. "I don't know if I can do this." 

They both look at me hopelessly. 

_You're the only one who can, Simon._

My head jerks up. It was there; faint like a whisper, but still there. His voice. 

I look Baz in the eyes. 

I imagine they're human eyes once again—it isn't too difficult; I know those eyes better than my own. 

I know his face. I know his voice. I know his heart. 

And he's right. I'm the only one who can do this—the only one who knows him enough for it to work. 

I repeat the words in my head, over and over, carefully. 

Penny casts the spell again, and I feel the magic pooling in the tip of my tongue. _Intention. Meaning._

When I speak, the circles start glowing around us. 

I think about us, about _how long_ I've known him. How _well_ I know him. 

His smell fills my nostrils, his eyes are locked with mine. 

I want to feel his skin against mine. 

To trace the lines on his palms with my fingers.

I want him _back._

**"The lines in your hand are more familiar to me than my own lines..."** I do my best to emphasise the right words; _lines, hand, familiar._ I think about Baz's hands cradling my face, _human_ and loving and mine _._

Magic coursing through me, through us. The light now is too bright, and I have to close my eyes. 

I think I might be crying again. I feel a single tear slide down my cheek. 

Then, I feel someone wiping it away. 

Cold fingers caress my cheek. For a moment, I hold my breath. 

I open my eyes to find his staring back at me, grey and shining and… 

Human. 

I let out and incredulous laugh. 

"You did it," he says, kissing my face. His voice is a bit hoarse. "You wonderful thing, I _knew_ you could do it." 

I giggle, astonished, as he keeps scattering kisses all over my face. I pull away just enough to take a good look at him. 

"I missed you," I think, swallowing the lump in my throat. "So much. I almost thought I—you—that we'd never…" 

Baz shakes his head, kissing me again. Then, he rests his forehead against mine. "Don't think about it. It's alright now." 

I feel giddy, and my hands tremble as I trace the lines of his face, around his mouth. I keep looking at him. 

"I love you," I say, holding his hand and intertwining our fingers.

"I love you, too," Baz says, burying his nose in my head and breathing in deeply. One of his arms comes around my shoulders, pulling me closer. 

(... Also, he's starkers. I think I should've noticed that before.) 

We're so caught up in each other that I don't even notice when Penny leaves the room; she comes back with a blanket. 

"Here," she drapes it over Baz's shoulders. "Please don't murder me in my sleep. I _really_ need to rest." 

He quirks a brow at her. (It's such a relieving sight.) "I wouldn't dream of doing that, Bunce." 

She waves at us, leaving the room again. (This time, she locks herself in her bedroom.) 

"Hey," Baz says softly. 

"Hey," I say back. "How are you feeling?" 

He sighs. "A bit nauseous. And tired." 

"Come on," I say, helping him up. "Let's go to bed." 

When we lie down, he curls up against me, nestling his head in the space between my shoulder and neck. 

"It's almost time to go to work, love," I say. "I'll call your teachers and say you're still sick." 

He mumbles. "Stay. Need you." 

"I need you too," I say, smiling. "But I can't lose my job." 

"They won't mind. Stay." He rubs his face against my shoulder. 

I sigh. I'm dead tired, to be honest, and Baz's breathing is soothing, and he's tracing circles on my chest. 

"Okay." 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!  
> The spell I used probably wouldn't work in canon verse, considering this isn't a well known poem, but I decided to indulge. This poem is called "Fare welling hands", by Farrokh Tamimi, and it just fit perfectly here.  
> I'm on Tumblr at [nightimedreamersworld](https://nightimedreamersworld.tumblr.com/)


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